Kuwaiti Minister of Information Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah received on Thursday an Australian female delegation consisting of 16 prominent scholars, media women and businesswomen.

In statements to the press following the meeting the minister hailed the steadily developing ties between Kuwait and Australia.

He renewed gratitude to Australia for its support to Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion in 1990 and its contributions to Kuwait liberation.

"Kuwait and Australia share the desire to promote their economic and investment ties," Sheikh Sabah underscored, recalling the recently-signed documents in these domains.

"Kuwait and the other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members are looking forward to holding joint media and cultural activities with Australia soon.

"Kuwait has held a cultural exhibition in Australia when the relics of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI) were displayed. The exhibition was greatly admired by the Australian visitors," the minister added.

For her part, chief of the delegation Dr. Fiona Hill said the aim of the visit to Kuwait was to boost the people-to-people and state-to-state ties.

The delegation, which includes celebrities in the fields of education, medicine, culture, law, environment and press, has visited a number of private and state corporations as well as government and non-government institutions, she disclosed.

She called for more exchanges between Australia and Kuwait on all levels in order to promote the levels of the bilateral economic, social and cultural ties to those of the political ones.

The Australian female delegation arrived in Kuwait on Saturday for a week-long visit to Kuwait under an invitation from the Ministry of Information.